VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 1 - Most visits by foreigners to Indonesia in December 2020, totaling 164 thousand, were business trips, on duties or missions, and not for tourism travel, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) stated.

"The number of tourists arriving in December 2020 rose by 13.58 percent as compared to the previous month. There was a slight movement. However, in comparison with 2019, a very steep decline of 88.08 percent was recorded,” BPS Head Suhariyanto noted during a virtual press conference on Monday.

Many of those visiting Bali to attend conferences were guests from international organizations, he remarked.

Some 59 percent of the foreign tourists came by road, 27 percent by sea, and 14 percent by air.

"A sharp decline was recorded at all airports if we compare it to last year's situation. It is likewise for foreign tourists that had traveled by sea and land," he stated.

The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has battered the tourism sector and its supporting sectors. Not only Indonesia but also various countries are reeling from this uneasy challenge posed by the pandemic, Suhariyanto pointed out.

"This is because many countries, which are the main markets for Indonesian tourists, still impose travel restrictions or travel bans abroad. In fact, several countries that experienced the second wave of the pandemic have returned to imposing the lockdown policy," he remarked. (Antaranews)